


In The Eyes Of The Beholder

by Satosen



Category: The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Other
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-07-14
Updated: 2013-07-14
Packaged: 2018-03-22 07:45:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 8
Words: 8,353
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3720814
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Satosen/pseuds/Satosen
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Fury has an adopted son? Chris is a young nineteen year old with an innocence that would put a baby to shame, or is he? Chris has a knack for knowing things he shouldn't and seeing into peoples hearts. But, he isn't as normal as he would like. What is Fury Hiding and who is Chris really.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. I'm A Ninja

“I don't think we should be focusing on Loki. That guy's brain is a bag full of cats. You can smell crazy on him.” Bruce said nervously.  
  “Have care how you speak! Loki is beyond reason, but he is of Asgard and he is my brother!” Thor said defensively.  
  “He killed eighty people in two days.” Widow put in tiredly.  
  “He is adopted.” Thor said in defeat.  
  Fury walked in and Agent Hill walked over to him.  
  “Sir, he’s here.” Fury looked over at her and nodded.  
  “Make sure he doesn’t come into any contact with Loki and keep him under a tight watch. I don’t want him getting into any trouble while we are up here.” Tony and the rest of the avengers were now looking intently at Director Fury.  
  “So who is here, now?” Tony asked. Fury glared at Tony for a moment.  
  “No one that you need to concern yourself with.” Tony scoffed. Suddenly several agents ran through the agacent hallway and over to Fury.  
  “Director Fury, sir, we have bad news.” Fury turned his glare over to them.  
  “What is it?”  
  “We lost him sir. While walking him to his room he jumped into an air duct.” Fury smirked slightly for a moment then went back to glaring.  
  “Find him now or so help me I will shot you myself.” The agents flinched then ran out to search the base.  
  “So, does he concern us yet?” Tony asked smugly. Fury glared at Stark.  
  “No, Stark. It still does not.” Tony pouted. Then they heard a nocking at the air vent.  
  “Chris, get out of there, it’s filthy.” They heard some rustling the vent cover moved and a young boy’s head popped out.  
  “Yes sir.” The boy answered as he pulled himself out before replacing the vent and dusting himself off. “You know it isn’t that bad in there. Sure there are a few bugs and some dust but other than that it is quiet roomy and a wonderful way to get around the ship.” Fury sighed.  
  “It is still unsanitary, and shouldn’t you act more dignified?” Chris scoffed.  
  “If you’re a germ affobe then yes, yes it is unsanitary, and no, no I will not act more dignified.” Fury sighed again before motioning him to come over. Chris smiled and walked over, he then hugged Furry. “I missed you dad.” Fury smiled and chuckled before hugging him back.  
  “I missed you too Chris.” Tony chocked and the rest of the Avengers stood in a silent shock.  
  “I must be older than I thought, I’m defiantly going senile because I thought I just heard that kid call you ‘dad’.” Fury glared at Tony.  
  “No, Stark, you aren’t going senile, he did call me ‘dad’.” Tony stared at him in disbelief.  
  “Since when did you knock up bawds enough to get a kid?”  
  “Since none-ya, and for your information Chris is adopted.” Tony raised an eyebrow.  
  “Well that certainly explains his pale complexion, but why would you adopt him?” Fury glare hardened, but Chris was not having an argument rage on his behalf.  
  “Hey dad, who’s the neat looking  guy in the glass room?” That got everyone’s attention off of the original subject.  
  “What exactly do you mean by neat, Chris?” Chris looked up a Fury with big innocent brown eyes.  
  “I mean just what I said. He’s interesting.” Fury looked at him for a long moment before Bruce broke the silence.  
  “Could you tell me what exactly you found interesting about him, Chris?” Chris looked over a Banner and nodded.  
  “Of course Dr. Banner. His cloths were all renounce and his speech patterns were strange along with several words he said. Oh, and he spoke of magic as if it was real. I wish I could do some of the things he told me about.” Chris sighed.  
  “You spoke to him?” Bruce finally asked.  
  “Well… yes, but not for long, unfortunately. He seemed like a really nice guy, too bad he has to go to the scary place.” Chris frowned as he spoke.  
  “My young friend what do you mean by,’ The Scary Place’?” Thor asked cautiously.  
  “You know, the place where people who have done something bad go for a really long time.” Everyone’s eyes widened.  
  “You’re talking about jail, right kid?” Bruce asked.  
  “I guess so. I’m sorry, I don’t remember things very well.”  
  “It’s fine, Chris. Now why don’t you go to your room and draw.” Chris smiled.  
  “Yes sir!” Chris let go of Fury’s jacket before running down the hallway towards the room that was his. The rest of them stood staring at where he had run before turning and looking back at Fury for explanation.  
  “Chris was in a terrible car accident that took away his parents and gave him a mild case of amnesia to the extent that he entirely forgot them and everyone else that he had ever known. He forgets things that are unimportant to him within two weeks, and we’ve tried to recover his memory but nothing has worked so far, he also forgets everything to do with recovering his memory. Unfortunately after the accident he had to relearn everything except for eating and breathing.” Fury sighed. “I was a good friend to his father so I took him it. I tried to tell him that I wasn’t his dad but he always forgets it and continues on calling me his dad.”  
  “What about his makeshift mom?”  
  “He doesn’t have one and he doesn’t seem to care about that at all either.” Bruce and the rest of the Avengers looked as if they were deep in thought.  
  “Ehem,” Furry cleared his thought as if dismissing the subject.” We have more important things to think about, like finding the Tessoract.” He looked pointedly at the two scientists.  
  “Yah, sure, but we aren’t done with this yet. I am so going to bug you about it again.”  Tony replied as he nonchalantly walked away with Bruce.


	2. The Tesseract Is A Child

“What ya doing?” Bruce jumped slightly and looked up at Chris. Who was now hanging upside down from the ceiling and smiling brightly. Bruce coughed nervously.  
  “I’m finding the Tessoract for your dad.” Chris nodded and flipped landing agilely on his feet on the floor in front of Bruce. He then dusted himself off and looked back up at Bruce. “Are you supposed to be here, in this room, with me?” Chris giggled.  
  “I know all about ‘the other guy’ and I know he wouldn’t hurt me.” Bruce looked at him weirdly.  
  “And how do you know that.” Chris looked at him with innocent eyes.  
  “Because he never hurt her.” Bruce’s jaw dropped.  
  “How…How did you know about her?” Bruce sputtered.  
  “Sh. The toys might here you.” Chris duct behind the table and Bruce tried to follow but found no one there.  
  “What toys?” He heard an echoing giggle.  
  “These ones silly.” Bruce turned around to see Chris sitting crisscross on the table with the staff in front of him.  
  “Now I defiantly know you aren’t supposed to be anywhere near that.” Bruce motioned at the staff. Chris giggled.  
  “You sure are stupid.” Bruce had a questioning face on. “Don’t you remember me telling you to, shh.” He put one finger in front of his mouth. “The toys might hear you.”  He whispered.  
  “What exactly do you mean?” Chris giggled again.  
  “If you raise our voice around it, it will take hold of you subconsciously you will pick it up, but consciously you have the need to fight, or to have anger you try to hold in released, or even to make yourself known. That is part of the will of the Tesseract. It was made for the purpose of war so it tries to continue its purpose. Even though its original master is gone and its target has grown larger it still wants to do what it was made for. It wants to keep that little bit of importance inside of itself and it wants to prove it isn't just a trinket.” Bruce listened closely then blinked.  
  “You believe that the Tesseract is alive, don’t you?” Chris smiled sadly.  
  “If I listen close I can hear its heartbeat. It is no different from a child. The only thing different is its creation and purpose. It was created and called that person father, it lost that father and had to stay alone for a very long time. Now it has a chance to become important to someone again. If you were this child, would you want to lose that chance?” Bruce shook his head.  
  “I never thought about it that way. I mean it is a natural power source that wouldn’t burn out…” Chris frowned and shook his head.  
  “If a horse is pushed too hard it collapses and becomes a broken toy. If a man is thrown under the weight of a bolder he is crushed. Now Mister Banner, what do you suppose would happen to a child who has the weight of the world thrust upon it?” Bruce blinked with confusion.  
  “I suppose it would logically become overpowering” Chris nodded.  
  “Like I told you before Dr. Banner, the Tesseract is a child filled with hope. Neither you nor anyone else can take that hope away except to crush the possibility of its dream and stuff in your own. If you do that The Tesseract will either over power you... Or after a while it will start to dim. I wish I could say that it would last forever, but that would be a lie all too great.” Bruce was stunned. He had not thought about those possibilities at all, and yet this child that was probably three times younger than himself had already figured it out. Chris walked away after that with a small good night and was gone.


	3. Life That Can Not Be Grasped And A Danger Behind The Scenes

  Loki sat in his glass prison thinking. He didn't exactly have anything else to do. Then he heard it, the slight movement of cloth and the tap of someone’s feet meeting the ground inside his cage. He smiled lightly to himself there is only one person that is that light and brave enough to enter his cage. He opened his eyes and turned his head to see the young boy named Chris looking at him with a smile.

  “You're either the bravest person on this craft or the most ignorant.” Loki’s words sound halfhearted even to him own ears. Chris simply giggles in reply and walks over sitting in front of Loki.

  “Neither actually! I’m just the most curious!”His voice is cheer full and like the nontilont child he is but something has put his spirits down slightly since Loki last saw the boy. Loki tilts his head, a slight frown caressing his lips.

  “Might I ask what has troubled you since we last talked?” Chris’s hazel eyes darkened slightly and he looked down.

  “Do you know much about the Tesseract?”Chris whispers this quietly, not removing his gaze from the floor. Loki nods.

  “Yes, in fact the reason i’m here is for stealing that devise. Why do you ask?” Chris sighs and his shoulders slump.

  “No, you don’t. You only know that it’s something to make you stronger or help you in some way.....right.” Chris says it more as a fact and not as a question and Loki looks at him curiously.

  “Well that is what I was planning originally, why?” 

  “Your as ignorant about it as the rest of them, even though you are more connected to magic and life! The Tesseract is not just a tool for others to use as they please it is a life force! A child in a different form! An abandoned creature!” Loki flinches slightly at the boy’s out burst but leans forward after a minute.

  “What do you mean? That the Tesseract, a box of light created by the Midgaurdians, is something that is alive?” Loki’s tone is one of a disbelieving sarcasm. Chris sighs again and lifts his eyes to meet Loki’s.

  “Man kind is a horrible race that has an inability to grasp something as small as a life, but Gods are an even more horrid race for being able to grasp and manipulate magic. Weaving it how they like and creating life, but being unable to take care of the life they create....” Loki sits still as the wheels in his head turn so that he may understand what Chris had said. Chris instantly covers his mouth once he is done and looks worriedly at Loki. “I’m sorry I should have kept my temper!” Loki looks at him confusion.

  “Why should you have? You brought a large point up that I recently had not understood.” His tone is neutral as he continues to digest Chris’s words and think further on them. Chris shakes his head ‘no’.

  “I should have because Dad told me too! He said I should keep my mouth shut to prevent any complications to the plan, so I have to keep my mouth shut other wise he’l be upset and i’ll get The Punishment, and I don’t like The Punishment! It hurts allot!”Chris has worry written all over his face as he speaks. Loki looks at him in concern.

  “What punishment, and what plan?” Loki asks in interest but his tone says concern. Chris clamps his mouth shut along with his eyes and shakes his head back side to side extremely fast. Loki sighs and slowly puts a hand on Chris’s shoulder. He isn't quiet sure what else he can do to get the boy to calm down. “Chris, please calm yourself. I can see that you are determined not to tell me so I won’t ask, and given the circumstances I don’t think I would be able to force it out of you anyway.” Chris looks at him for a moment before sighing and leaning lightly into the touch looking away as he does.

  “It’s not that I couldn't tell you....It’s just that I don’t want to get hurt again for disobeying him...” Chris’s words are mumbled and he doesn't seem to want to say more.  
  Suddenly the sound of foot steps alert Chris and he darts to his feet running to his entrance and exit to Loki’s cage. Loki watched as he had the last time, but doesn't move. Last time the boy had gone he had tried the same way but found it impossible. He still wondered how Chris was able to get in and out from the same spot and leave it so that no one else can. “Good bye Loki~” Chris whispers quietly as he disappears. Loki nods and silently bids Chris good bye. He knows that the time is coming when he shall leave this floating contraption and he hopes that it’s destruction won’t come at the cost of the boy’s life as well. However, for now he would have to deal with other problems, such as Miss Romanoff. He stands and starts to pace the small cage in fake distraction and agitation, and waited for her. He wanted to make her fall into his own trap rather then him into hers so he would pretend that she had snuck-up on him giving her false pride in her deceptive abilities and become cocky. Finally she stood in front of the glass door waiting for Loki to turn and ‘notice’ her.

  “ There's not many people that can sneak up on me.” he says in a slightly more quiet tone then he usually does. He smirked to himself as turns to face her.

  “But you figured I'd come.” Her voice shows that his plan didn't work completely. Loki mentally scowls but keeps his grin in place on the outside. He switches to his other tactic.

  “After. After whatever tortures Fury can concoct, you would appear as a friend, as a balm. And I would cooperate.” He replies after a second,walking closer as he does.

  “I wanna know what you've done to Agent Barton.” Her reply is slightly quick and Loki notices replying in the same way only says it slightly slower.

  “ I'd say I've expanded his mind.” She starts to walk closer, her reply slightly calculated.

  “And once you've won. Once you're king of the mountain. What happens to his mind?” She crosses her arms and slightly sighs in her words. Loki sneers slightly at her.

  “Is this love, Agent Romanoff?” Her reply is quicker than before, but she keeps her neutral facade.

  “Love is for children. I owe him a debt.” Loki walks back and sits on the bench like thing they gave him in his cage.

  “Tell me.” He says it with a slightly nicer tone as though he were talking to Chris. Agent Romanoff tilts her head and her lips part in her silence of a few seconds. Then, she sighs and turns before walking over with a slow pace to sit in the near by chair.

  “Before I worked for SHIELD, I uh...well, I made a name for myself. I have a very specific skill set. I didn't care who I used it for, or on. I got on SHIELD's radar in a bad way. Agent Barton was sent to kill me, he made a different call.” Her voice shows that she is slightly uncertain about telling Loki as he sits with his head slightly down looking at her from under his eyelashes.

  “And what will you do if I vow to spare him?” His voice is slightly quiet as he nods and looks at her. Her reply is still at a decent tone but it is a slightly funny to Loki.

  “ Not let you out.” He laughs slightly in reply.

  “Ah, no. But I like this. Your world in the balance, and you bargain for one man?” She shakes her head slightly as she flippantly says.

  “Regime's fall everyday. I tend not to weep over that, I'm Russian, or I was.” She catches herself on the last bit.

  “And what are you now?”

  “It's really not that complicated. I've got red in my ledger, I'd like to wipe it out.” She stands as she replies and walks forward to the glass door. She crosses her arms over her chest as she reaches it.

  “ Can you? Can you wipe out that much red? Drakoff's daughter? Sao Paulo? The hospital file? Barton told me everything."His voice is soft as he sets the seeds of destruction in and stands. Her face grows more and more scared and disbelieving with every word” Your ledger is dripping, it's gushing red, and you think saving a man no more virtuous than yourself will change anything? This is the basest sentimentality. This is a child at prayer. Pathetic!”Loki’s voice starts to raise as he walks up to the door and laughs in her face “You lie and kill in the service of liars and killers. You pretend to be separate, to have your own code, something that makes up for the horrors. But they are a part of you, and they will never go away.” His voice then lowers slightly getting ready to scar her even worse. “I won't barter Barton! Not until I make him kill you. Slowly, intimately, in every way he knows you fear. And then he'll wake just long enough to see his good work, and when he screams I'll split his skull!” He slams his fore arm on the door and his voice becomes menacing. Natasha turns away walking a few paces away in supposed fear the tears visible in her eyes. “ This is my bargain, you mewling quim!” The sounds of Natasha’s weeping reaches his ears and he smiles to himself.

  “You're a monster.” Loki chuckles.

  “Oh, no. You brought the monster.” Suddenly all signs that Agent Romanoff was ever scared or crying are gone as she turns to face him a knowing look on her face.

  “So, Banner? That's your play?” Loki looks at her in confusion completely thrown from his game.

  “What?” Natasha talks into her ear piece as she circles Loki’s cage heading for the door.

  “Loki means to unleash the Hulk. Keep Banner in the lab, I'm on my way. Set the door locked.” She stops and turns to Loki one last time. “Thank you, for your cooperation.” With that she turns and walks off, leaving Loki completely baffled.


	4. Explosions

  Chris stands outside the room listening to them argue on and on practically clawing each other’s throats out.  
  “I though humans were more evolved than this.” Thor’s voice says.  
  “Excuse me, did WE come to YOUR planet and blow stuff up?” Fury’s voice is defensive and the arguing gets more jumbled.  
  “Are you really that dense? S.H.I.E.L.D. monitors potential threats.” Natasha’s hot head response is heard through the noise.  
  “Captain America is on a threat watch?” Bruce responds as if Steve couldn't hurt a fly.  
  “We ALL are!” Natasha says quickly.  
  “You’re on that list? Are you above or below angry bees?” Tony’s smart ass response is heard.  
  “I swear, Stark, one more wisecrack out of you…” Steve threatens.  
  “Verbal threat! Threatening! I’m being threatened!” Tony says.  
  “Show some respect” Steve spits out and then everyone’s voices seem to be jumbled together and Chris swallows lightly. The voices seem to quiet down a bit again.  
 “You speak of control and yet you cause chaos.” Thor says.  
  “That’s his M.O. isn't it? I-I mean what are we? A team? No no no. W-we’re a chemical mixture that makes chaos. We’re… We’re a time bomb.”  He stutters a bit.  
  “You need to step away.” Fury threatens.  
 “Why shouldn't the guy let off a little steam?” Tony flamboyantly argues and the sound of him setting his hand on Steve’s shoulder is lightly heard.  
  “You know damn well why, Back off!” Steve shouts a bit.  
  “Oh I’m starting to want you to make me.” Stark retaliates.  
  “Yah. Big man in a suit of armor.” Steve pauses. “Take that off what are you?”  
  “Genius, playboy, philanthropist.” Tony says matter of factually.  
  “I know guys with none of that worth ten of you. I've seen the footage. The only thing you really fight is yourself. You’re not the guy to make the sacrifice play, to lay down on a wire and let the other guy crawl over you.” Steve almost growls.  
  “I think I would just cut the wire.” Tony replies quickly and Steve pauses.  
  “Always a way out…You know, you may not be a threat, but you better stop pretending to be a hero.” He says lowly.  
  “A hero? Like you? You’re a lab rat, Rogers. Everything special about you came out of a bottle!” Tony responds snidely.  
  “Put on the suit. Let’s go a few rounds.” Steve says challengingly and Thor starts to laugh.  
  “You people are so petty, and tiny.” Thor laughs out.  
  “Yah this is a team.” Bruce says off to the side.  
  “Agent Romanoff would you escort Dr. Banner back to his…” Fury is cut off by Bruce.  
  “To where? You rented my room.” Bruce says angrily.  
  “The cell was just in case…” Fury is cut off again by Bruce.  
  “In case you needed to kill me, but you can’t. I know. I tried.” Everyone goes quiet after Bruce’s growled response. “I got low. I didn't see an end. So I put a bullet in my mouth and the other guy spit it out. So I moved on. I started concentrating on helping other people. I was good. Until you dragged me back into this freak show and put everyone in here at risk. So you wanna know my secret Agent Romanoff? Wanna know how I stay calm?” Everyone goes quiet and Chris hears the sound of guns being readied to be taken out of their holsters. It stays silent for a while until Steve speaks up.  
 “Put down the scepter.” The room remains quiet and Chris frowns sadly.  
  “I told you so.” Chris mutters under his breath before the tech makes a sound saying it has located the Tesseract.  
  “We got it” Tony says.  
  “Sorry kids, you don’t get to see my party trick after all” Bruce says quietly.  
  “Located the Tesseract!” Thor says and everyone starts talking all at once again.  
  “Can get there faster.” Tony says quickly.  
  “The Tesseract belongs on Asguard, No human is a match for it.” Thor says loudly.  
  “You’re not going alone.” Steve says to Tony.  
  “You gonna stop me?” Tony says challengingly as Chris hears the sound of Steve’s hand being swatted away.  
  “Put on the suit and why don’t you find out.” Steve challenges back.  
  “You know I’m not afraid to hit an old man.” Tony huffs back.  
  “Put on the suit.” Steve growls.  
  “Oh my god…” Bruce says quietly and suddenly the ship starts shaking as part of it explodes. Chris is thrown elsewhere and the Avengers are scattered. Everyone starts rushing about and things get worse from there. Thor and hulk get into it and Hulk jumps ship. Steve and Tony fix one the pretty much destroyed engine and Tony’s suit gets badly scrapped up. Thor faces off to some extent against Loki with Agent Coulson. Loki stabs Coulson and ejects the cell with Thor in it. Natasha hits Clint really hard in the head and brings him back. Loki escapes and Chris disappears. (God I honestly feel like a horrible author for typing it out like that…) They get the ship fixed up and Tony figures out where Loki is going. He rushes off and Steve gets Natasha and Clint dragging them off to the air carriers. Now Tony is walking into his tower with his machines removing his iron man suit. He locks eyes with Loki and Loki follows him into the tower.


	5. New York Battle

  **> :3 Begin~ C:<**

  "Please tell me you're going to appeal to my humanity." Loki struts easily across the floor towards Tony who walks into the building as well.  
  "Uuuh, actually I'm planning to threaten you." Tony walks about with his hands behind his back before walking down the set of stairs to his left.  
  "Should have left your suit on for that." Loki chuckles and points back at the now hidden spinning rings that removed said armor.  
  "Yeah. Seen a bit of mileage, and you get the.. uh, glow stick of destiny." Tony points at Loki's scepter. Loki smirks and looks down at it before looking back up at Tony when he speaks again. "Would you like a drink?"  
  "Stalling me won't change anything." he switches which hand he's holding the scepter in.  
  "Nuh no no, threatening," Tony responds quickly as he makes his way behind his counter and towards his liquor. "No drink, you sure? I'll have one." Loki's smile fades and he turns and walks quickly to the window.  
  "The Chitauri are coming. Nothing will change that." He quickly turns back to Tony. "What have I to fear?"  
  "The Avengers," Tony states matter-of-factly as he opens a bottle of liquor and looks up at Loki who looks confused. Tony rolls his eyes and makes a sort of 'it doesn't really matter anyway' face.  
  "It's what we call ourselves. Sort of like a team. Earth's mightiest heroes type thing." Tony pours his drink as Loki walks up with a smile.  
  "Yes, I've met them." Tony pauses then puts on a fake smile for a second as a half laugh escapes his lips.  
  "Yeah, takes us a while to get any traction I'll give you that one. But, let's do a headcount here: your brother the demi-god;" Loki fidgets and huffs a bit looking away at the vague description of his brother. Tony takes his chance as Loki starts to walk away and begins to put on two metal bracelets that were hidden on the counter. "A super soldier, living legend that kind of lives up to the legend; A man with breathtaking anger management issues; A couple master assassins. And you," He points at Loki who is smiling lightly and looking back at him as he talks. "Big fella, you've managed to piss off every single one of them." Loki nods his head a bit as he winks slightly at Tony.  
  "That was the plan." He starts walking back towards Tony. Tony takes a sip of his drink.  
  "Not a great plan." he starts to circle around his counter towards Loki, holding his drink as he does so. "When they come, and they will, they'll come for you."  
  "I have an army." Loki retorts back.  
  "We have a Hulk," Tony responds levelly.  
  "Oh, I thought the beast had wandered off."  
  "Y-you're missing the point. There's no throne." Tony walks down a small set of stairs towards Loki."There is no version of this where you come out on top. Maybe your army comes, and Maybe it's too much for us, but it's all on you. Cuz if we can't protect the earth you can be damn well sure that we'll avenge it." Tony has stopped moving and downs the last of his drink and Loki slowly walks towards him.  
  "How will your friends have time for me when they're so busy fighting you," Loki says menacingly as the loading sound of his scepter fills the air. Tony looks scared as Loki raises the scepter and touched it to the center of his chest causing him to flinch back at the sound of metal hitting metal. Nothing happens and Loki confusedly loads the scepter again while Tony no longer looks scared. The sound rings through the air again and Loki stares in confusion. "This usually works."  
  "Performance issues you know." Tony makes a face like 'sounded like it would work' as he mumbles about it. "Not uncommon." Loki looks up at him like 'you really said that'. "One out of five." Loki grabs him by the throat suddenly and throws him across the room.  
  "Garvis, anytime now," Tony says as he stands back up. Loki grabs him by the bottom of his chin roughly now.  
  "You'll all fall before me."  
  "Deploy," Tony shouts out and Loki picks him up. "Deploy." Loki flings Tony out the window. As Tony is free falling Loki turns at the sound of Tony's suit deploying and barely moves out of the way in time as it jets through another window. After almost crushing a few civilians Tony jets back up to the windows. "And there's one other person you pissed off, his name is Phil." Loki readies to shot at Tony but Tony shoots faster and blows him backward just as the Tesseract opens the portal to Loki's army. Tony looks upwards as it happens and switches screens inside of his helmet. "Right... Army..." He watches them stream out before starting to fly towards them.  
        Down below the city starts to be destroyed by the random shots from aliens and their crafts. Chriss tugs his hoodie further over his face and takes cover in one of the buildings. He watches it be taken over by aliens and then saved by Steve but he doesn't leave the city like the rest of them, unfortunately for him though that means that when Loki's arm blows up a building in the crossfire it kind of lands on him and he gets dragged back to S.H.I.E.L.D. medical style and patched up. By the final so long to Loki time comes he's only got to have some bandages instead of a sling or a cast or anything like that.

**> ;3 Chapter End C:<**


	6. Truth Uncovered

_Hey, guys so I just had to tell you that from the very beginning this was the chapter that I was creating all of this fan fiction from. I originally only had the verbal responses and none of the extra actions or anything like that so please forgive me if it's blocky or if it looks like I've downgraded on my ability to type out a good story because this was originally written out on paper in 2013 and I haven't really looked at it since until today. So I hope everyone likes it and I pray that at least a few of you will comment and give me some boost of ego after this._

**> :3 Beginning~ C:<**

  Thor leads the now chained and muzzled Loki by the arm into the center circle of a paved section in the park. Tony walks towards them with a silver suitcase as the others slowly walk towards them as well. Dr. Selvig takes a two-handled cylinder out from the back of a van and Banner slowly puts the Tesseract into the center of it while Steve watches on a look of almost relief is in his eyes. Thor says his goodbye to Dr. Selvig and wishes him the best of luck as he pats the man on the shoulder. Loki watches as Natasha whispers something to Clint that makes the man smile. Thor makes Loki take the other handle of the cylinder holding the tesseract and looks around at the others nodding to them all.  
  "Sorry boys and girls but I can't let you do that just yet~" A black wire wraps around the cylinder and yanks it from their hands. Everyone turns to see Chris standing on the railing of the bridge holding the cylinder carefully as he slides his wire into a pocket of his cargo pants.  
  "What the hell do you think you're doing?" Natasha growls out as she steps towards Chris.  
  "Keeping you from convicting a mostly innocent man." Chris steps off of the railing and onto the ground in front of them.  
  "Are you crazy kid?" Banner asks confusedly and Chris narrows his eyes at them.  
  "Well I'm sorry for not having the same point of view as you do, but I don't blame Loki for what happened." Chris retorts sharply.  
  "How can you not blame him? He blew up a building and it landed on you! He single handedly lead an army of aliens and destroyed half of New York!" Natasha cuts in.  
  "I don't blame him because it wasn't his conscious decision. If you don't believe me, I'll show you!" Chris takes a techno glass sheet thingy and starts typing on it."Thor, can you tell me what color Loki's eyes were when you were children?"  
  "Yes..." he hesitates in a questioning manner and Chris rotates his hand as a sign to continue answering the question. "They were forest green."  
  "Okay, now tell me what color they were when you fought in Jötunheimr?"  
  "They were green, why do you ask?" Thor is becoming more and more confused just like the rest of them but Loki seems to know what he's getting at.  
  "I'll tell you in a minute. Now can you tell me what color his eyes were when he fell off of the rainbow bridge and into the abyss?" Thor hesitates longer before answering the question.  
  "They were green..." his voice is quiet and Chris notices but says nothing about it.  
  "Now tell me what color his eyes are in these pictures taken by security cameras." he pulls up a set of holographic images.  
  "They are... Blue?" confusion covers his face as well as everyone else's except for Loki and Chris's   
  "They are, and what color are his eyes now?" Thor turns and looks into Loki's eyes for the first time in a while  
  "They are green again!"  
  "Good, now here's the kicker that proves it wasn't his fault and explains why I asked what color his eyes were. Clint, your eyes are normally brown correct?"  
  "Yes." he's reluctant to answer.  
  "Well when you were... compromised," Loki looks like he laughs a bit and Natasha narrows her eyes at him, "your eyes turned blue. Now Dr. Selvig's are normally a dark blue, right?" he nods softly but doesn't say anything as the gears in his brain start to circle,"Well your pretty blue eyes went electric when you were 'enlightened'. As you can see in these pictures other agents that were compromised also had a change of eye color." he removes this pics from before and pulls up images of other compromised agents.  
  "So you're basing your entire theory on the idea of eye color changes?" Tony inserts.  
  "Can you find any flaws in my theory, Tony?" Chris defends and Tony puts up his hands in surrender.  
  "I just don't get why you're sticking up for him."  
  "I'm sticking up for him because I can see through his masks. I can see why he went over the edge at Asgard."  
  "Because there was an explosion and the bridge broke?" Tony tries and Chris rolls his eyes.  
  "Shut it electric can opener. I was meaning mentally."  
  "Cool it growing pains, and I'll have you know that my suit is more advanced than some tin can opener."  
  "Shut up already. Loki was broken after his fall and didn't have the strength to fight so he was captured by the same creatures he was leading into New York and tourchered. After a while of poking and prodding, they decided that he might be useful to them, but his mental state was something they needed to change first. So they took Loki out of the question and put in their own 'enlightened' puppet. Now tell me I'm wrong Loki." Loki looks away slightly disconcerted and Thor removes the muzzle from his mouth.  
  "Is he speaking the truth?" Thor asks and Loki hesitates before nodding. Thor then looks to Chris. "How could you possibly have known?"  
  "Not a subject to discuss in a civilian walking area."So shall we move this to more private facilities?" The group slowly nods in agreement and then move the conversation to Tony's house.

**> ;3 To Be Continued C:<**


	7. Experiment

_Okay so with what I was talking about in the last one, this is the second half of that because it was becoming really really long and this fan fiction is not well-known for being really long so I split in half at the best place I could. So again I can't really speak for the quality or anything like that but I still hope that everyone likes it._   
**> :3 Part 2 of the last one C:<**

  "I still do not understand why he would not just lower his guard and tell us," Thor states as he sits on Tony's couch with Natasha, Clint, and Banner. Tony is making drinks for everyone while Chris walks up with an ice pack and a first aid kit for Loki.  
  "Thor, your brains reside on the same battlefield they were knocked out on, not in that thick skull you have." Chris hands Loki the ice pack to put on his thinly tuniced shoulder and starts taking out the things he needs from the kit. "Loki's brains reside in making up for his lacking of strength compared to you. He's been living in your shadow his entire life, do you really think that he would lower his shields to his number one competitor?" Loki is sitting away from everyone else on one of Tony's stools, for their comfort.  
  "I did not realize, Loki, is what he says true?" Thor looks to Loki who nods softly. He still has handcuffs on but none of the other precautions S.H.I.E.L.D. had put on him.  
  "Yes." Thor seems depressed now and Chris continues to tend to Loki's injuries."Why? Why help me after everything? Why do you trust me not to hurt you more or run away?"  
 "Because I know you have grown tired of running and that you are in true remorse. I won't let them take you away. Especially when you're innocent."  
  "How do you know that?"  
  "Hate to break in here but how are you, a 19-year-old boy, going to stop us, a gang of super-powered geniuses with money?" Tony cuts in and Chris rolls his eyes.  
  "Tony, you're an idiot."  
  "Care to continue that thought or just gonna leave me in the dark on this one?"  
  "Do you really think Fury would keep around a useless 19-year-old boy and name him his son?"  
  "Well, you never really know with a guy whose secrets have secrets."  
  "Exactly, I'm one of those secret's secrets. I'm a master of mixed martial arts, a swordsman with almost any blade, and a master of any gun or projectile you put in my hands. I can shoot an arrow farther than Clint and still hit the target spot on. My knowledge about weapons and my ability to use them is countered by none, not to mention the biological injection done to me by S.H.I.E.L.D." Everyone is stunned.  
  "Wait, wait, wait, S.H.I.E.L.D. did what to you?" Steve interjects and Chris looks at him.  
  "Trained me to be a better version of you. They also made a few adjustments to the original design along the way."  
  "Fury said no one had been able to make the serum... other than Howard Stark."  
  "He's gone by the way but his research was extensive and replicable but of course they didn't need another 'Captain America' after you were gone so they had to create something better. A year after you took the swan dive into dreamland I was mutated."  
  "Wait a minute, that means that the changes they made were..." Baner cuts in.  
  "Yep, eternal life, and good looks, but there is a buzzkill. You could call it either good or bad depending on what kind of past you had, but the result is the same."  
  "What result?" Steve is almost terrified to hear the answer.  
  "If you take the serum you forget everything about your past. You have to be retrained in the image they want you. You are nothing but a biologically made robot with little to no free will of your own. I am the only exception to a small extent. The rest are exactly as I said. Robots." Chris seems unfazed by what he says but Steve is completely horrified.  
  "So wait, what makes you different from the others?" Tony asks as he hands out the drinks.  
  "I was the only one of the first thirty subjects to survive."  
  "Thirty?!" Steve bursts out in outrage. "How could they go to lengths like that?!"Chris shrugs.  
  "Doesn't really matter to me."  
  "How can it not? You could have died!"  
  "So? It's not like I was just abducted and thrown into the mix. Every subject that was used was originally a shield agent or someone with special biological needs for the testing. All of us happily volunteered for it." Steve looks like he's going to be sick and all of the others, except for Loki who looks at him sadly, stare at him in surprise. "I was originally a lost cause case in Tennessee with Heart cancer closing in on me but before that, I had been well-known for being a top-notch martial artist and an excellent young agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. trained from birth by my parents to be the perfect agent."  
  "You remember this?" Natasha asks and Chris shakes his head 'no'.  
  "I read the files because I am one of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s best."  
  "Why not call you and your... buddies in to fix the New York problem?"  
  "We are incomplete and not fit for battle yet. Also, they can not spare a single one of us to death because they need test subjects and only seven of us have survived out of one-hundred tests."  
  "Only seven?" Clint asks and Chris nods.  
  "Hey kid, wouldn't telling us be bad for your safety'? I mean it's top-secret info that many would probably die for." Tony finally speaks up and Chris looks up at him smiling softly.  
  "Well, that's where I'm different from the others. I don't always follow their 'rules'" Loki watches for a second and then speaks up.  
  "When you spoke with me in the cage before, you talked about a punishment you were scared of." Chris glances and pauses before nodding. "What is it?" Chris stops working on Loki's wounds and looks down sadly.  
  "It's worse than what the Chitauri put you through when you fell..." His voice is quiet and Loki's eyes widen a fraction.  
  "Chris..." Loki starts but he cuts him off as he continues to work on Loki's wounds.  
  "It's fine... it's best if all of you know..." Chris's eyes look tired and aged. Loki slides his hand over one of Chris's to stop his work.  
  "What is the punishment?"

**> :3 Chapter End C:<**


	8. Punishment

_....I'm sorry it's taken me so long to type out this next chapter but I typed out the last bit with something to go off of... I'm pulling this next bit out of thin air because I never really thought about what the punishment was supposed to be...._   
**> :3 Beginning~ C:<**

"We were genetically changed to be perfect soldiers but we aren't and so they have to continue working out the kinks to make us complete. As I said before, they can't spare a single one of us to death. However, we each have our own level of individuality and thus they give us room to move and work with that so that even if we were in an unmonitored setting we would do exactly as they would wish us to. Insubordination is something they can't really afford with us so it's a one strike deal before they remove us from 'normalcy' and cage us like the animals they have made us." Chris's hand is shaking under Loki's so he gives a small squeeze of encouragement. Chris smiles gratefully before continuing. "After they have... retrieved us, they strap us to a table I doubt even Thor could break out of. The beginning is just the tip of the iceberg with their treatment.  
  "They start by submerging our bodies in icy water for so long that our lungs feel as though they are about to burst and our consciousness begins to flicker. We are only allowed moments of surface time to catch our breath before we are submerged once again. The icy water begins to turn our entire body numb after its initial shock and pain but it only adds to the load that is placed on our minds. How long has it been going on? How many times have I seen above the water? Soon it turns into: Have I ever seen above this water before? We lose all sense of reality.  
  "Now we are ready for experimental injections. Because of the coolness the water gave us before, the injections feel like molten lava making its way through our veins. As soon as we let out the first scream they gag us with a god awful muzzle to shut us up for their own amusement and to keep us from biting our own tongues. The pain gets so bad that many stronger than I pissed themselves before their hearts gave out. I would not be as lucky in the present because of the adjustments they have made over the years..." The other's, especially Steve look horrified but Loki's grip keeps Chris steadily going.  
  "Next is the dissection. How did this test affect you? How do you feel? Better yet, let us see them... They leave us bare with nothing to hide from their gazes, not even some of our very own skin..." he is gently caressing a space on his abdomen and Loki knowing grasps the hand, looking up at him to remind him what all of this was even for.  
  "If you survive the first day of this then they stitch you up and toss you in a small box like cage where there is no light. You've already lost what sense of time you had before and this only adds to it. It feels like such an eternity they've left you in there and the light of that box opening is blinding..." He takes a careful breath. "This continues until you become unresponsive."  
  "Unresponsive?" Natasha asks as she tilts her head and Chris nods.  
  "If you're lucky it only takes a week to reduce you back to the stage you were at after originally becoming what we are. Most times, I am not so lucky and at least a month passes."  
  "Couldn't you just fake it and get out of there faster?" Steve speaks up hopefully and Chris shakes his head solemnly.  
  "They monitor us closely and keep an eye on our brain waves the entire time we are held by them. Even if I could effect my patterns for extended periods of time, it's nearly impossible for it to happen faster than previous times so they rat out the faking quickly." Steve flinches softly and averts his eyes.  
  "If they keep taking you back to square one, how are you... you now?" Tony speaks up and Chris smiles softly.  
  "The best part about being me is that I know my own mind better than anyone else, and I have a stash I will always come across to make me, me again. No matter how many times they take the me, out of me."  
  "When was the last time that happened?" Banner asks as he takes a sip out of the drink Tony had handed him and grimaces. Chris thinks for a minute before opening his mouth to respond.  
  "Three years ago." Furry answers for him and everyone stands to stare at the dark skinned man standing in the doorway.  
  "Um, intruder? Jarvis?" Tony speaks up looking around for the alarms that someone had come inside or even a verbal warning.  
  "I'm sorry sir, but they seem to have by passed my systems," Tony grumbles about how they even managed that while Fury steps closer to Chris and Loki puts himself between the two of them.  
  "If I have anything to say about it, that will be that last time you ever do," Loki growls protectively and the Avengers gawk at the display for a second before joining in and readying themselves for a fight as they surround Chris defensively.

**> :3 Chapter End C:<**


End file.
